Lines of Fracture, Webs of Cohesion: Economic Interconnection and Security Politics in Asia (original) (raw)

Security and International Relations in Asia

Journal of Politics and Governance, 2018

The relationship between the countries has witnessed a phenomenal change. Asian continent has not been untouched from it. There is belligerent North Korea on one side and the untrammelled ambition of China on the other. The insurgency in Afghanistan has taken a new twist with dwindling number of International Security Assistance Force. The thorns in the relationship between India and Pakistan remain while Sino India relationship also has witnessed drastic dip. Trump's Presidency further created a fear psychosis among members of the Muslim world. The tensions remain unabated in South and East China Sea. String of Pearls theory and one belt one road policy are being incorporated as new alibis to promote one's interest. The Dokalam conflict between India and China has unravelled the fragile relations between two Asian super giants. The gigantic metamorphism of China as the economic hub of Asia has instilled it with overbearing and over domineering attitude towards its neighbours which does not portend well for the regional diplomacy. Various international meets and forums and military exercises do play a very critical role in today's environment in forging ties and relations. Role of United Nations cannot be relegated to secondary position.

Asia's New Institutional Architecture: Managing Trade and Security Relations in a Post-September 11 World

2006

I. INTRODUCTION Can regional and interregional institutions better manage the increasing complexity of economic and security ties among the states in Northeast, Southeast, and South Asia? As the international state system undergoes dramatic changes in both security and trade relations in the wake of the end of the Cold War, the Asian financial crisis, and the September 11 attacks, this question is now at the forefront of the minds of both academics and policymakers. In investigating the origins and evolution of Asia's new institutional architecture in trade and security, we focus on three sets of distinct but related issues. The first concerns the evolution of a new institutional equilibrium in the trade issue area. The second examines the changing path toward security cooperation. The final set of issues addresses the strategic interaction between trade and security arrangements. Each set of questions will be investigated along sub-regional lines, namely Northeast, Southeast, and South Asia, with attention to possible linkages among regions through interregional arrangements. In this paper, we attempt to theorize about the emerging institutional architecture by systematically taking into account the role of non-state and state actors across the Asian region. Falling communication costs due to globalization have increased the number of participating actors and increased the relevance of "complex interdependence." Besides the traditional actors at the sub-national and national level, transnational actors (TNAs) are increasingly leaving their mark on the international system. Still, increased participation at a distance and a move toward complex interdependence does not necessarily imply the end of politics among "territorial" states. Globalization shrinks distance, but it does not make geography irrelevant. And the filters provided by domestic politics and political institutions play a major role in determining what effects globalization really has and how well various countries adapt to it. Therefore, we seek to

Economic Interdependence and Peace in East Asia: The Role of Regional Organizations

Seoul National University Journal of International Affairs, 2018

"This research investigates and describes economic interdependence and regional peace in East Asia in the period 1967 to 2016 based on a liberal framework. This study seeks to examine how economic interdependence decreases the severity of military conflict among ASEAN, ASEAN+3, and EAS member-states. Quantitative analysis with regression modeling was used as the primary research methodology, and the result suggests that increased economic interdependence is a key driving factor of peace among the member-states of ASEAN, ASEAN+3, and EAS. Nonetheless, an increased level of democracy does not affect the severity of military dispute in East Asia, nor is the intra-regional trade among ASEAN countries large enough to contribute to the peace among its member states. This paper presents the idea that trade disputes in East Asia would increase the security tension among East Asian countries, as the results suggests economic interdependence is a key driving factor of regional peace among ASEAN, ASEAN+3, and EAS member-states. Since little research on peace in East Asian has been conducted through quantitative methodology, this paper would be able to uniquely contribute to the richness of the discipline of security studies."

Do InstItutIons Matter ? regIonal InstItutIons anD regIonalIsM In east asIa

2010

W hether and how regional institutions and the ongoing process of institutionalization in East Asia contribute to the quest for the security, peace and stability of that region is the concern of interest to the Sentosa Roundtable on Asian Security 2007-2008, the second of three annual roundtables conducted between 2006 and 2009. Made possible by the generous support of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation of Japan, the Sentosa Roundtable, hosted by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) in Singapore, brings together leading analysts, scholars, practitioners and activists of Asian international affairs for two days of frank and constructive discussions on the current and future state of Asian security. In particular, the discussions focus on prospects for transforming the Asian region into a security community, where regional states commit to peaceful relations and the avoidance of war with one another. To that end, the purpose of the Sentosa Roundtable Study Group (hereafter SRSG), comprising a small collective of subject specialists, is to produce assessments of the specific issues under consideration, so as to facilitate the subsequent roundtable discussions. The SRSG is usually held three or so months before the Roundtable. The first of these, SRSG 2006-2007, examined the links between economics and East Asian security. The second, SRSG 2007-2008, looks at the relationship between institutions and security. The third, SRSG 2008-2009, will explore the nexus between cultural factors and the security of East Asia. In particular, the second SRSG, whose report provided the contents of this monograph, assesses the relevance of regional intergovernmental institutions-the ASEAN Regional Forum, the ASEAN Plus Three, the East Asia Summit and so forth-to regional security, stability and community building in East Asia. The deliberations of an preface viii October 2007 meeting were further embellished by a series of independently commissioned papers (see the following chapters).

Asia's New Geopolitics

2021

The International Institute for Strategic Studies is an independent centre for research, information and debate on the problems of conflict, however caused, that have, or potentially have, an important military content. The Council and Staff of the Institute are international and its membership is drawn from almost 100 countries. The Institute is independent and it alone decides what activities to conduct. It owes no allegiance to any government, any group of governments or any political or other organisation. The IISS stresses rigorous research with a forward-looking policy orientation and places particular emphasis on bringing new perspectives to the strategic debate. The Institute's publications are designed to meet the needs of a wider audience than its own membership and are available on subscription, by mail order and in good bookshops. Further details at www.iiss.org. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.